🏰 July 17, 1955 – Disneyland Opens in Anaheim, California
Walt Disney’s groundbreaking “theme park” Disneyland welcomed its first attendees on July 17, 1955. Built on 160 acres of former orange groves near Los Angeles, Disneyland was a $17 million bet that people would flock to a park filled with nostalgia, fantasy and futuristic wonders. The invitation-only opening (televised nationally on ABC) drew some 28,000 guests – far more than intended, due to counterfeit tickets – and introduced the world to attractions like Main Street USA, Sleeping Beauty’s Castle, and Tomorrowland. Despite technical snafus on day one, the park’s mix of family-friendly rides and storybook environment was an instant sensation, redefining American leisure and imagination.
Disneyland’s chaotic opening day, later dubbed “Black Sunday,” was the stuff of legend: drinking fountains ran dry, food ran out, a woman’s high-heel shoe sank into freshly poured asphalt on Main Street, and the Mark Twain riverboat nearly capsized from overcrowding. Yet the park quickly overcame these hiccups. Disneyland went on to attract millions of visitors within its first year and proved the viability of the theme park industry. It became the template for Disney’s global empire of parks and resorts and has hosted over 750 million visits to date, truly earning its nickname “The Happiest Place on Earth.”
Interesting Fact: Disneyland’s opening day was so riddled with problems that Disney invited all the opening-day guests to come back for free a few weeks later. The park’s staff had to repaint curbs overnight (because women’s shoes were sticking in the not-yet-cured asphalt) and even put up makeshift signs on unfinished attractions to be ready for the actual public opening on July 18, 1955.